FootballPreview
2 202215,SEPTEMBERTHURSDAY,PREVIEWFOOTBALL|THEDP.COMTHEDAILYPENNSYLVANIAN SportS EditorS Matthew Frank Esther EashwarLimKantemneni rEportErS Andrea Mendoza Caleb AshilKristelCrainRambaudSrivastava Copy Sophie Apfel Allyson Nelson Tiffany Park Lilly Friedman Amy Xiang dESign Caleb Crain photo Anna Vazhaeparambil Editor - in -ChiEf Jonah Charlton Table of Contents 4.CreditsMeet Penn's new offensive coordinator Andrea Mendoza 6.5.8.11.12.13.14.15. Aidan Sayin's quest for glory Matthew Frank Three defensive storylines to watch Caleb Crain A Day at Practice Kristel Rambaud & Anna Vazhaeparambil Meet the four captains of Penn football Eashwar Kantemneni Penn in the NFL: Week 1 Ashil Srivastava Ivy Power Rankings Eashwar Kantemneni Editor's predictions Matthew Frank, Esther Lim, & Eashwar Kantemneni Penn gears up to face Colgate in opener Ashil Srivastava
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“Dan has done a great job of being ef ficient with our time,” Priore said. “His system, which I'm very, very familiar with, puts our players in the best positions pos sible to have success on the football field.”
After a difficult season for Penn football in 2021, Dan Swanstrom, the newly hired offensive coordinator, returned to Penn this February and has since worked day in and day out to revitalize a Quaker offense that struggled mightily throughout last year.
“We're very understanding of what we're trying to do here as a coaching staff, as teachers, as educators, as our commitment to excellence within the program, which we define as incremental improvement every single day.” Swanstrom said.
With a lot of change both on the roster and staff, and even throughout the Ivy League, nothing is yet guaranteed. Cur rently, the goal for Swanstrom is to improve the Quakers incrementally day by day. Each game will be a unique challenge, an idea the team is well aware of, according to the new offensive coordinator.
“There's something new every single day, and you're always constantly learning,” Swanstrom said. “As I tell the players all the time, you just try to learn, you try to do your best, [and] if you make a mistake, just don't make the same mistake twice. And that's basically all the things I want to do within my coaching and my profession.”
of the Penn football team last season, Swanstrom felt he could return to Penn and make meaningful contributions.
Since Swanstrom’s arrival, major changes have already been evident in strat egy and morale within the team.
“I just watched how he was able to take that program, which was perennial — a very, very talented program — but was not doing very well,” Priore said. “He really got them back up to being a national contender, and when I had the opportunity, I just had to ask him if he was interested in the position.”
Swanstrom's work led to an opportunity to become the head coach at Ithaca Col lege. Swanstrom was at Ithaca for five years, through which he turned the trajectory of the program around. Within his first season with the Bombers, he led them to a shared
Swanstrom left his five-year tenure as head coach of Ithaca College
More than just his system, according to Priore, Swanstrom has been a leader and has been instrumental in bringing and in stilling confidence in the players.
“This didn't happen this past summer, this happened when he got here in Febru ary,” Priore said. “He is very serious, very on top of it, a tremendous leader in that fash ion.”Swanstrom also sets great trust in the process. He has not been expecting imme diate results, especially as he heads into his first season in his current position.
Dan Swanstrom's return to Penn football as offensive coordinator
A large percentage of the team stayed on campus over the summer and has trained with Swanstrom for several months con sistently now. Coming out of fall camp, everyone has stayed relatively healthy and the offense has four out of five starting line men returning accompanied by starting quarterback, sophomore Aidan Sayin.
At Penn, Swanstrom helped lead the Quakers to two Ivy Championships in 2015 and 2016, where he worked with Alek Torgersen, a two-time first team All-Ivy se lection. Torgersen went on to sign with the Atlanta Falcons in 2017.
Penn football head coach Ray Priore, meanwhile, was looking to update the coaching staff following a season in the Quaker offense ranked last in the Ivy League for both scoring and total yards, and second to last in rushing and passing yards.
Liberty League regular-season title. He left with a record of 32-11 (.744), earning the highest winning percentage for any coach that coached for more than one season.
In January 2022, Swanstrom was named the new offensive coordinator of Penn foot ball, leaving his five-year tenure as the head coach at Ithaca College. Swanstrom wears over 15 years of collegiate coaching experi ence under his belt, and has been applying that wisdom to the Quakers’ offense.
“I just felt the opportunity to come back to Penn and to contribute to this offense, and I knew Coach P very well. I know that family-like atmosphere that he has here,” Swanstrom said. “I knew I could help the program and ultimately, that was the deci sion I went with, and I'm excited to be back.”
Andrea Mendoza Sports Associate
Photo by Anna Vazhaeparambil Offensive coordinator Dan Swanstrom speaks to players at the end of football practice at Franklin Field on Sept. 8.
Swanstrom’s offensive system and his ability to put players in impactful positions will be showcased and tested this Saturday at Penn football’s season opener, where the Quakers face Colgate University in a matchup at Franklin Field.
Swanstrom began his collegiate coaching career from 2006-2008 at the University of Redlands, where he helped lead the team to a Southern California Intercollegiate Ath letic Conference championship win in 2007. From 2008 to 2013, he coached at Johns Hopkins, beginning as quarterbacks coach, and eventually taking a position as an as sociate head coach.
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“When I had the opportunity to get the job, and coach the quarterbacks here, that was just an amazing experience,” Swanstrom said. “We didn't have a great year in '14, but we had great years in '15 and '16. I was around great players, and our quarterback was tremendous, and I worked with great people, and it was just awesome.”
“Every year, I think you always want to self-examine your program; everything we're doing from top down — from myself, to everybody within the organization that we have. Players, coaches, everything,” Priore said. “I felt that we just weren't as productive and efficient on the offen sive side, and I knew I was gonna make a change.”Swanstrom's success at Ithaca drew the attention of Priore, and the previous con nection to Penn set Swanstrom as the clear contender for the position.
During his time at Hopkins, the Blue Jays claimed five Centennial Conference titles and four of his players were named confer ence player of the year. During that tenure, he also worked at different Ivy League camps, until becoming a quarterbacks coach from 2014-2016 at Penn.
With the documented shortcomings
“[This] bodes well for the offensive kids,” Priore said. “And I think they have been play ing with a lot of confidence in practices.”
Sayin had to grow his mental capacity as a football mind to adjust to a second new offensive system in just two years.
“His study of the game really, really improved,” Priore said. “And he's always studied, but because coach Swanstrom's offense is really focused on progres sion you'rereadsreading corners, you're reading
So in week six at Ivy rival Yale, the coach called on Sayin to lead the offense, despite his inexperience and, as Sayin points out, his lack of starting practice reps."I started, which was a bit of a shock because I was still playing scout team in week four," Saiyn said. "And then week six, I was starting. So it was a bit of a shock, but I was ready for it, I think.”
Penn would lose the final three games of the season, but Sayin gained a wealth of experience that he hopes has prepared him in his role as permanent starting quarterback.Withthe starting quarterback job comes the expectation of leadership.
Aidan Sayin's quest for Quaker glory
Although Sayin’s lack of seniority may dampen his voice among the established crowd in the locker room, his leadership emerges in more subtle ways, according to teammates.“He'snotas vocal of a leader, but I think it almost impresses people even more because he's very focused,” senior wide receiver Malone Howley said. “He's such a gamer. I think the biggest thing is all the receivers trust him so much, whether it's [if] the ball is gonna be there when you need it to be or making the right decisions.”Whether this style has been effective so far is up to Sayin and his intentions. But the sophomore quarterback is striving to become a more pronounced leader for the team; a goal he says has been made easier by his experience with the offense lastAlthoughseason. he’s played with his team mates for a year, Sayin has known Dan ordinatorSwanstromwho describes Sayin as “very monthsconsistent”now.Inthattime,
No Penn freshman had attempted a pass in a game since 2013, when future NFL quarterback Alek Torgersen played in a single contest. Yet last season, thenfreshman Aidan Sayin attempted 163 passes across five starts.
Though Penn would fall short at Yale by 14, Sayin threw two touchdowns. The next week, Sayin proved himself to be the deserving starter, leading the offense to a season-high 45-point output against
Brown and contributing another two TDs.
'I hasbesttowantbetheQBPenneverhad'
Now heading into his sophomore season, the Carlsbad, Calif. native rides the momentum of a run in which he stepped in halfway through the season to mend a struggling offense. In midOctober, the Quakers were 2-3 and hadn’t managed to reach 21 points for four consecutive games. The team needed something to shake things up, especially with a quarterback senior John Quin nelly who had been battling injury.
With the aspiration to reach the NFL and become the greatest QB in Penn his tory, Sayin just doesn’t have time to waste.
“I wasn't necessarily expecting to play,” Sayin said. “I was just trying to do well on scout, help our defense out, and eventually I moved up the depth chart."
Matthew Frank Sports Editor
Photo by Anna Vazhaeparambil
“I just felt that we needed something last year to give us a spark,” head coach Ray Priore said.
Replacing Prince Emili
Can Experience Pay Off?
make an impact is senior defensive back Kendren Smith. Before suffering a sea son-ending injury in the fourth game of the season, Smith notched six tackles, including one for loss. Now healthy and playing alongside fellow senior Chris Rankins, the Penn coaching staff has lofty expectations in 2022.
After finishing the 2021 season around the middle of the pack on de fense, the Quakers — especially eighth-year defensive coordinator Bob Benson — have high hopes for their up coming campaign to improve that side of the ball. Here are the three biggest storylines to watch from Penn’s defense this season.
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“You can always improve every aspect of your game,” Benson said. “But if we can stop the run … it’ll be alright.”
“I don’t know if we can replace Prince with one person,” Benson said. “But we’ll hopefully do it by committee.”
Last year, the Quakers allowed 133.2 rush yards per game and 3.5 yards per rush, both figures which landed them solidly in the bottom half of the Ivy League. As a result, stifling opponent rushing attacks is a major focus for Benson and the defense this season.
second level.” Last year, Morris was productive, finishing in fifth on the team with 45 total tackles, and also had one interception which he returned for 42 yards. Alongside Morris will be fellow seniors Jonathan Melvin and Adam Conyer. Both saw significant playing time last year, combining for 58 total tackles, including Conyer contrib uting five for loss.
Stopping the Run
In all of those spots, however, the coaches were confident that people would be able to step up. Jack Plank, who tallied seven tackles and 0.5 sacks as a backup linebacker last year before switching to defensive line for the 2022 campaign, was one of the names men tioned by the coaches.
Another piece who Benson hopes will
“And I’m just trying not to mess it up.”
Bensonloss.mentioned many of the same names, and he’s also confident that Penn’s defense will be able to rebound from Emili’s departure.
To do that, the Quakers need to rely on senior linebacker Garrett Morris, who Benson called “the leader of the
“I think our plan to replace him has been good in terms of planning,” he said. “We have a little bit of depth there and a replacement [plan] that we feel good about.”
Over the course of his six years with the Red and Blue, Prince Emili fashioned himself into a force to be reckoned with. Across 36 starts, he tal lied 155 total tackles, 28 TFLs, and 9.5 sacks from his defensive tackle posi tion. Emili’s presence anchoring Penn’s defensive line also extended to plays where his impact isn’t reflected on the box score. All of this led Emili to earn a spot with the Buffalo Bills during train ing camp and just miss the final roster.
Three defensive storylines to watch
Fortunately for him, there are mul tiple players ready to step up. Defensive line coach Hank Hughes suggested four who could see significant time inside: senior Micah Morris, junior Travis Mc Farling, senior Will Seiler, and junior Joey Slackman. Of these, Hughes noted that Morris has the most game experi ence, as he played in all 10 games last season, tallying 35 total tackles, six of them for
One of the biggest factors both Benson and Hughes mentioned is the continuity present on Penn’s defense.
Senior defensive back Chris Rankins attempts to cover senior running back Tysen Comizio during a practice drill at Franklin Field on Sept. 13.
Caleb Crain Sports Associate
The departure of several key names in Penn's defense leaves uncertainties after a decent performance last fall
The Quakers return many of their key defensive contributors from 2021, with Emili, linebacker Brian O’Neill, defen sive back Jason McCleod, and defensive lineman Matthew McElroy being among the only key Quakers who departed.
Benson acknowledged the talent of his defensive unit, and summed up his job“Assuccinctly.longas these players know what they’re doing, we’re talented enough to play some decent defense,” he said.
Photo by Anna Vazhaeparambil
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The Quakers use a combination of drills to fine-tune the skills of each specific position group. In one drill, the running backs go up against the most dangerous opponent: trash cans. The coaching staff sets up trash cans and has the running backs run through them. While they run through, the coaches knock down the trash cans, forcing the running backs to have to cut through them.
“It gets you primed, gets you ready to make plays,” Flowers said.
Some drills, it’s simulating the inten sity by having players go head-to-head against each other in a drill called two minute.“You put the ones against the ones,” Sayin said, referring to the first-string
Meanwhile, positions like the quar terback focus on the more mental aspect of the game. They work through their fundamentals like going through reads, timing, and steps.
10:50 a.m.
Some practices, the team will focus on weight training. Others, they will focus more on running through drills and practices on the field.
Benson acknowledged the talent of his defensive unit, and summed up his job“Assuccinctly.longas these players know what they’re doing, we’re talented enough to play some decent defense,” he said. “And I’m just trying not to mess it up.”
Kristel Rambaud Sports Associate
The drill invokes the type of high energy and excitement no one would expect to see on a college campus on a Wednesday morning. But it’s the same type of energy that the Quakers will use to carry with them long after the practices are over.
And then, after an afternoon of classes and schoolwork, the coaches and players get ready each night to do it all again the next morning. In all of those spots, however, the coaches were confident that people would be able to step up. Jack Plank, who tallied seven tackles and 0.5 sacks as a backup line backer last year before switching to defensive line for the 2022 campaign, was one of the names mentioned by the coaches.Another piece who Benson hopes will make an impact is senior defensive back Kendren Smith. Before suffering a season-ending injury in the fourth game of the season, Smith notched six tackles, including one for loss. Now healthy and playing alongside fellow senior Chris Rankins, the Penn coach ing staff has lofty expectations in 2022.
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The Quakers are only on the field for two hours. They wrap up before noon to give the players time to get dressed, grab lunch, and head off for their after noon
Theclasses.players take time to go through their post-practice treatment for about an hour. As position groups, they all get together to do their foam rolls while their coaches give them a run down. And once they get back into the training room, they have a myriad of options: ice baths, contrast baths, re covery bikes, and recovery boots. The array of options ensures that the play ers can stay on the field throughout the whole season and at their best perfor mance.
Oncea.m.their two hours of morning meetings and film reviews are over, it’s time for the Quakers to hit the turf of Franklin Field for two hours.
For each practice, the coaching staff prepares priorities and goals that they want to accomplish based on their prior performance and upcoming matchups.
“Every practice is unique in itself. [Every practice] is a goal that you’re trying to get done as you’re in your preparation,” coach Ray Priore said.
This week, with the season opener on the horizon, the team’s goal has been to replicate the intensity and pace of their first game. And this is thanks to the scout teams, who supplied the squad with the requisite knowledge on how best to prepare for the Colgate Raiders on Saturday, Sept. 17.
starters as the ones. “You got less than two minutes on the clock, and you [have] to go quick. Everyone’s on the sideline yelling, screaming, cheering.”
A Day at Practice
8:50
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One of the leaders of the defense, Heimlicher looks to build off his im pressive junior season where he tallied 51 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and 12 quarterback hurries. He finished fourth in the Ivy League in sacks, and fifth in TFLs, earning an honorable mention All-Ivy nod along the way. He had his best game in Week
Jake Heimlicher, Linebacker, 6-foot-4, 240 pounds
Alongside fellow captain and senior linebackers Jake Heimlicher, Adam Conyer, and Garrett Morris, Melvin looks to establish a second level of the Quaker defense this season which could turn out to be its strength. Last season, in eight games, he totaled 29 tackles and 2.5 TFLs while playing
In the lead-up to football season, here is an introduction to Penn's 2022 football captains.
Last week, Penn football announced the team's four captains for the 2022 season, all of them seniors: Trevor Radosevich, Jake Heimlicher, Trey Flowers, and Jonathan Melvin.
While splitting reps with Malcome, Flowers totaled 379 yards on 99 carries on the ground, and 35 more through the air, with his best output coming against Lehigh in Week 4, where he gashed through the Hawks’ defense for 115 yards and a touchdown in a 20-0 shut out. Expect a lot of Flowers this year as the Quakers look to achieve his and their goal of an Ancient Eight title.
Last season, Flowers was part of a two-headed monster in the backfield alongside star running back Isaiah Mal come. With Malcome now gone due to graduation, Flowers knows he must be the guy for the Red and Blue. He knows his goals for the team clear and well.
All four of this year's class of captains are seniors
Trey Flowers, Running Back, 5-foot-10, 220 pounds
Photo by Anna Vazhaeparambil
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Linebacker Jake Heimlicher
Photo by Anna Vazhaeparambil Offensive Lineman Trevor Radosevich
The 2021 second team All-Ivy se lection has been a force in the trenches in all 20 games he played. Last season, he started all 10 games at center and was part of an offensive line that aver aged more then 125 yards per game.
Jonathan Melvin, Linebacker, 6-foot-1, 225 pounds
on defense and special teams. His best game came in Week 9 on the road against Harvard, where he accumu lated nine total tackles, including 2.5 for loss. He will likely get more op portunities to increase those stats this season.
7 in a 45-17 win against Brown, where he totaled three sacks in a crucial victory. Alongside fellow senior line backers Garrett Morris, and Jonathan Melvin, Heimlicher should once again anchor a strong middle of the defense for the Quakers.
This year, Radosevich will once again anchor an offensive line that shapes up to be the strength of the offense and will be charged with keeping secondyear quarterback Aidan Sayin upright.
Meet the four captains for Penn football
Eashwar Kantemneni Deputy Sports Editor
Trevor Radosevich, Offensive Lineman, 6-foot-4, 295 pounds
“To win out and win the league title, of course. Anything less would be a failure,” Flowers previously said in an interview with the DP.
Former star defensive tackle for the Quakers Prince Emili was cut from the Buffalo Bills roster earlier this off season during the final roster trim. On Wednesday, however, Emili signed with the Bills’ practice squad, mean ing he could see NFL action if called up to the official roster. Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver has an ankle injury that caused him not to practice Wednesday, so Emili’s signing provides some depth insurance for a defense that looked lasersharp against the Rams on Thursday.
Brissett and third-year head coach Ste fanski to hold down the fort. On top of that, they are playing in the extremely competitive AFC North division that features Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Cin cinnati.Luckily for Stefanski, he has a sturdy defensive unit to rely on along with stud running back Nick Chubb. The work is cut out for Stefanski and the Browns, but if they can soldier through the first 11 games of the season, they may be able to sneak into the playoffs.
Justin Watson — Wide Receiver, Kansas City Chiefs
Watson is a tall but quick receiver who will add a deep ball element that the Chiefs are missing since the departure of Tyreek Hill. Watson is a second-string receiver, but it will be interesting to see if he can crack the regular rotation to give Mahomes a weapon downfield. Re cently, the 26-year-old was mentioned on The Bill Simmons Podcast as a po tential threat in the Kansas City wide receiving corps.
Ashil Srivastava Sports Associate
Penn in the NFL: Week 1
The Browns have had a very tumul tuous offseason. They moved on from former number one pick Baker May field in favor of Deshaun Watson, who has been the center of controversy for the last year now. Watson will be out the first 11 games of the season due to sus pension, so it will be up to QB Jacoby
In week one, the Browns started the season off strong, staving off the Caro lina Panthers in a nail-biter. The final score was 26-24, spoiling quarterback Baker Mayfield’s revenge game.
The 2022-2023 NFL got off to an ex citing start last weekend which means it’s time to dive into how the Penn alumni did after week one.
Prince Emili was recently signed to the Buffalo Bills' practice squad
Prince Emili — Defensive Tackle, Buffalo Bills
Penn alumnus wide receiver Justin Watson during a game against Yale at Franklin Field on Oct. 21, 2017.
The Bills are undoubtedly one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl, loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, but their most dangerous weapon is quarter back Josh Allen who has taken the team to several deep playoff runs in his young career. He’s a dual-threat QB with the ability to throw long, accurate passes but can scramble for an easy 20 yards with noVanissues.Roten will potentially be protect ing Allen for the first time this year. Van Roten is entering his eighth season in the league, the Bills being his sixth team across that span. After leaving the New York Jets following last season, he signed a one-year deal with the Bills and will likely back up starting left guard Rodger Saffold. Throughout his career, he’s dealt with a multitude of injuries, but seems healthy entering this year and will be ready if there are any injuries to theDuringstarters.the preseason, the journey man played in two of the Bills' three games, starting the first one and coming off the bench in the second. Then in week one, Van Roten and the Bills took a commanding win over the defending champion Los Angeles Rams. Van Roten took one offensive snap at guard as well as five special teams snaps.
Photo by Sukhmani Kaur
Watson won a Super Bowl — decided to move on from him, and now Watson will go from catching passes thrown by Tom Brady to Patrick Mahomes.
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Although they never crossed paths at Penn, Watson and Van Roten will play for rivaling squads this season, as Watson, a fifth-round pick in 2018, signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. After remaining injured last year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — with whom
Greg Van Roten — Guard, Buffalo Bills
In his first preseason contest as a Chief, Watson impressed, leading the team in yards and receptions while also catching a 22-yard touchdown at the end of the second quarter. On Sunday, however, Watson was unsuccessfully targeted one time in the Chiefs’ blowout win against the Arizona Cardinals.
Penn alumnus Prince Emili during a game against Columbia on Oct. 16, 2021.
Kevin Stefanski — Head Coach, Cleveland Browns
Photo by Chase Sutton
Spencer Alston, wide receiver Mason Tipton, and left tackle Nick Gargiulo. The Bulldogs also have the added lux ury of being able to rely on a strong defense, led by a stout defensive line headlined by FCS Preseason All-Amer ica tackle Clay Patterson.
Ivy League Football Power Rankings: Fall 2022
2021 Season: 8-2, 5-2 Ivy, 3rd place
5. Columbia Lions
The Lions had some exciting moments last year, but could not maintain their suc cess during conference play. They will hope to change that this year and end their 61-year conference title drought. Head coach Al
7. Brown Bears
Eashwar Kantemneni Deputy Sports Editor
2021 Season: 9-1, 6-1 Ivy, T-1st place
College football season has arrived, and the Ancient Eight begin their slate of games for the 2022-23 season starting on Friday, Sept. 16. Here's how the eight Ivy League teams stack up so far.
2021 Season: 3-7, 1-6 Ivy, T-6th place
2021 Season: 9-1, 6-1 Ivy, T-1st place
by Preseason All-Ivy first team selection Wes Rockett, Hayes Sutton, and Graham Walker. Defensively, the Bears will be led by linebacker Junior Gafa, a senior who earned a Preseason All-Ivy second team selection.
2021 Season: 2-8, 1-6 Ivy, T-6th place
The Big Red have finished with a losing conference record each of the past 16 years, and this year they still appear to be bringing up the rear in the Ivy League. Cornell returns sophomore signal-caller Jameson Wang, and
1. Harvard Crimson
Which programs are in the best shape heading into the upcoming season?
After narrowly missing out on the Ivy League title last season, the Crimson come into the season looking to claim their first conference title since 2015. Of fensively, Harvard returns senior quarter back Luke Emge, leading wide receiver Kym Wimberly, and junior running back
2021 Season: 7-3, 4-3 Ivy, T-4th place
2021 Season: 2-8, 1-6 Ivy, T-6th place
2021 Season: 5-5, 4-3 Ivy, T-4th place
Bagnoli, in his seventh season at Columbia after 22 at Penn, returns a solid roster head lined by quarterback Joe Green, the 2021 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, running back Ryan Young, and receiver Marcus Libman.
Preseason All-Ivy first team wide receiver Thomas Glover. Defensively, the Big Red are led by the Ancient Eight's 2021 leading tackler linebacker Jake Stebbins, and senior defensive back Demetrius Harris.
3. Princeton Tigers
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While the Bulldogs finished at .500 last year, they can look at the fact that they finished just 2-4 in one-score games as reason for hope in the upcom ing season. Yale returns many key com ponents, including dual-threat quar terback Nolan Grooms, running back
The Quakers have struggled recently under head coach Ray Priore, and despite their rich program history, have not claimed an Ivy League title since 2016. The Quak ers will be led by sophomore quarterback Aidan Sayin, who showed great promise last year, running back Trey Flowers, and wide receiver Rory Starkey Jr. The offense is stout in the trenches, as the offensive line
The defending Ivy co-champions have gone 27-3 over the past three seasons, tied for the best mark in the league with Dart mouth. Princeton led the league in offense last year, but will have a new signal-caller this season — with the preseason com petition down to junior Blake Stenstrom, senior Joseph Hutchinson, or sophomore
The Bears have a miserable combined record of 2-26 in Ivy League play over the past four seasons. This year’s 27 se niors will hope to change that. While the QB1 job appears still up for grabs, Brown possess a stacked group of wideouts led
6. Penn Quakers
features two Preseason First Team All-Ivy linemen in seniors Ben Hoitink and Trevor Radosevich. Defensively, Penn returns a strong linebacker group led by seniors Gar rett Morris and Jake Heimlicher and stand out defensive back Jaden Key. Sayin’s de velopment and the offense’s improvement from last year will be pivotal in determining how the season goes for the Red and Blue.
2. Dartmouth Big Green
8. Cornell Big Red
4. Yale Bulldogs
Blaine McAllister. Elsewhere on offense, the Tigers return senior wide receiver An drei Iosivas and sophomore running back John Volker. Defensively, the Tigers will be led by last year’s breakout star, senior defensive lineman Uche Ndukwe, who tal lied 9.5 tackles for loss and six sacks last season to lead the team.
Coming off another Ivy League title in 2021, the Big Green, now leading the Ivy League in total titles with 20, returns a strong group ready to contend again for the trophy. Dartmouth is led by senior quarterback Nick Howard, who will certainly benefit from a veteran offensive line protecting him. The defense, however, which ranked top five in the FCS last year, returns only three start ers. Despite this, the Big Green have had a 5-2 or better conference record in seven of the past eight years, and head coach Buddy Teevens will likely know how to adjust to get the most out of his team once again.
Aidan Borguet, who earned Preseason Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year recognition. Defensively, Harvard returns linebacker Jack McGowan, senior defen sive back Alex Washington — who was named first team All-Ivy last season — and junior defensive tackle Thor Griffith.
I am not an expert on the foot ball that happens on the field.
Predicted Record: 5-5
Can the Quakers translate their optimism into results on the scoreboard?
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But beyond the sidelines, from interviews and preseason media with members of the coaching staff, and comments from play ers through the preseason, coach Ray Priore and the team seem well aware of the chance to thrive on optimism and a young, eager squad.This season will thus test Priore’s belief in his own words. Capturing the strengths of each new talent in the roster while honing down the rougher edges through guidance and camara derie will be the team’s best bet at burying the disappointment of last fall. Priore just needs to find
Predicted Record: 6-4
One of our favorite jokes in high school during a disappointing 7-4 season was that our football team would end 0-10 the next year. And so they did. We showed up each Friday night to watch the season inch closer toward a record of complete defeat — perhaps with an excuse that we were instead supporting our marching band. But by winter, we felt somewhat guilty that our comments had spoken disaster into reality.
Predicted Record: 7-3
Esther Lim Sports Editor
Sayin should be well protected as well, behind a strong line led by seniors Ben Hoitink and Trevor Radosevich. Under No. 9's com mand, the Quakers should be set up for more success this year and in the Whilefuture.I expect the Quak ers to be much better this year offensively and remain stout de fensively, the competition in the Ivy League is tough, with Harvard and Yale returning more experi enced rosters and with perennial powers Princeton and Dartmouth being as strong as ever. While an Ancient Eight title may be a year or two away, the Quakers have the potential to make some noise this year and sneak in an upset or two.
Editors predictions for the 2022 season
Eashwar Kantemneni Deputy Sports Editor
Matthew Frank Sports Editor
Jr. Still, the defense remains a sturdy unit and retains many of its key pieces, including defensive back Kendren Smith, who returns after missing the majority of last season. The big question mark for Penn is its offense, but if the de fense — which ranked second in the Ivy League in the pass game last season — can shore up its d-line and stop the run, Ivy title contention might not be totally out of the Butpicture.regardless of how well the defense performs, the offense needs to improve. It’ll likely be a more potent attack, but I think it’ll be another year before it really starts to fire on all cylinders.
2021 was an up and down year for the Red and Blue. The Quakers had some very promising signs, especially on defense, where they finished in the top three in many statistical categories such as opponent red zone efficiency, passing touchdowns, and comple tion percentage. While Penn lost many important contributors on that side of the ball to graduation, including Emili, O'Neill, and Mc Cleod, Penn looks to be in good shape defensively once again. Stalwart senior linebackers Gar rett Morris and Jake Heimlicher return for another year, and senior defensive back Jaden Key — the Ivy League's second-leading
the right cues during the season to trust his younger players to make big decisions and fulfill greater responsibilities.Iwillmakea wish toward a 7-3 record for the team that played the exact reverse in 2021. There is optimism, yet room for error. And perhaps the frequently re cited mantra of flipping the script of last season can be spoken into motion because Penn football can use every ounce of optimism as ir confronts a campaign of uncer tainties.
This go-around, the offensive situation looks far more promis ing. Quarterback Aidan Sayin has experience going into his sophomore season, and the team has a new offensive coordina tor who comes off five years as a head coach. The pieces are there to form a viable offensive attack, but whether or not such a quick turnaround is doable feels like a bit of a stretch. Will the offense be better? Likely so, but enough to bring Penn back to the top of the Ivy League might be a year or two away.On the defensive side of the ball, Penn lost some big talents from last season, including lineman Prince Emili, linebacker Brian O’Neill, and defensive back Jason McCleod
Last season for Penn football was one defined by inconsistency. When the offense would finally break out, the defense would falter. When the defense threw together consecutive stops, the of fense wouldn’t be able to make it past a series. More often than not, though, the offense was the stag nant unit, finishing dead last in the Ivy League in points per game. To be fair, Penn was not dealt an easy hand. The Quakers were forced to choose mid-season between an injured, struggling senior quarter back and a freshman who looked promising, but given his age des ignation, not battle-tested just yet.
tackler last season — will look to lock down the back end for defen sive coordinator Bob Benson's unit onceOffensivelyagain. is where concerns still linger. Penn's hopes for the Ivy League title will almost cer tainly rest on the shoulders of Sayin, who, by all accounts, has had a strong summer of train ing and development and a good camp so far. Sayin was immedi ately placed into an uncomfortable situation last season, going from scout team quarterback to starting against Yale within two weeks. He did respond well, though, throw ing two touchdowns in that game and finishing the last three games of the year with over 200 pass ing yards each, giving him good momentum for the 2022 season.
The Quakers' run game will be led by senior running backs Trey Flow ers and Jonathan Mulatu. Flowers, in particular, broke out last season, ac cumulating six touchdowns over the 10-gameClearingseason.the way for Flowers and the rest of the run game will be the
Early-season games are Penn's best chances to set an early standard of success
The run game isn’t the only part of the offense to watch, as sophomore quarterback Aidan Sayin, who earned the starting job midway through last season, will enter his first season as the primary
Photo by Vanessa Huang
opponent in Colgate (1-1) that comes off a close, hard-fought victory last week against the University of Maine.
Colgate also boasts an exciting young quarterback in sophomore Mi chael Brescia. As a dual-threat QB, Brescia and the rest of Colgate's runheavy offense have potential to wreak havoc on the Penn defense. In their last game against Maine, the Raiders threw 12 passes, while they ran the ball a whopping 42 times, 15 of which came from Brescia
Penn players line up against Lehigh during a game at Franklin Field on Oct. 9, 2021.
After a 3-7 finish last season, the Quakers will be looking to start the season on a positive note against an
“We’re excited. Guys are getting very excited about getting back on the field,” Priore said. “We’ll have some first-game jitters, I’m sure to some degree, but then we’ll have that mind set hopefully with lots of excitement andThejuice.”game will kick off Saturday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. at Franklin Field and will stream on ESPN+ as well.
“Obviously,alone.there’s a lot of quarter back pre-determined run plays,” Priore said. “The way you defend against someone like that [is] make them onedimensional, where he has to throw the ball to be effective.”
The challenge will serve as a valu able test for a Quaker defense which thrived in the pass game last season, finishing second in the Ivy League, but struggled in the run game, ending with the third-most rushing yards against them in the conference.
“[He’sQB.looking] real good. It was very helpful last year for him to get varsity snaps," Priore said about his QB. "He played over half the season last year and he’s really approached [the job] in a very professional manner. He worked hard in the springtime [and] earned the job.”
Ashil Srivastava Sports Associate
“They are traditionally a very physi cal, big, strong football team,” coach Ray Priore said. “We have to establish the run to be a good offense [against them].”
Penn will take on Colgate in its first game of the season this weekend at Franklin Field.
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Quakers' offensive line, which benefits from its relative experience compared to the rest of the roster.
With this opportunity for the Quaker defense to prove itself — along with quarterback Sayin and the rest of the offense — Priore and his team have high hopes for what this first outing could look like.
Penn gears up to face Colgate in season opener
“We return four of our five starters in the offensive line, which helps in the running game,” Priore said.
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